Consciousness was slow in coming. Lowell swam in a thick dark fog, swirls of colour surrounding him from time to time. He floated closer, then further from the surface. There were moments, when he realised there was something important he was forgetting. He wasn’t supposed to be floating in this dark place, he needed to be somewhere else. But these moments came and went, thoughts fading then becoming clearer. Slowly, steadily, the fog started to clear. First it became thinner, the blackness not so complete. Lowell became aware that he wasn’t an incorporeal ghost but a man and he was lying on his back. With that came another realisation. He hurt. His chest, shoulder, head, all of it hurt. Well, of course he hurt, he remembered, he has been shot! But then there came another thought. Purr!
Lowell struggled to sit up as he opened his eyes. It looked that he was in a hospital room. Lowell quickly scanned his surroundings trying to find any clue as to what happened to him. As might be expected there was nothing. It was a hospital room. Not a private hospital – he noticed – like the one he went to as a child to have his tonsils removed. This was most definitely a public hospital. And it made Lowell think. No matter his relationship with his father, Lowell knew sir Iain would never let one of his children stay in a public hospital. It could mean the press could get to them, or that someone could accuse him of not caring or them enough. Appearances were everything for Lowell’s father. Before he could marvel about this strange situation the door to his room opened and a nurse came in. She was an older lady, with dark skin and laughing chocolate brown eyes. She smiled at him when she saw he was awake.
“Well look who finally decided to wake up.” She said and came closer. “How are you feeling, love? You’ve been unconscious for quite some time now.”
“Um, I’m fine thank you.” Lowell answered politely. He wasn’t fine obviously. His head felt as if someone was trying to drive nails from the back of his scull straight through to his eye sockets, his shoulder burned with a dull ache and when he breathed he felt as if he was inhaling shards of glass.
“I seriously doubt that, but still, you were rather lucky. I have no idea what you thought you were doing rushing into a dangerous zone like that.” The nurse shook her head as she came closer to him to take his vitals.
“A dangerous zone?” Lowell asked feigning ignorance. He knew what she meant of course but he wanted to learn more about what happened.
“Yes, there was a raid on this politician’s mansion where you worked. They somehow discovered he was keeping a shifter enslaved there. The strike force wen in to secure and retrieve the poor boy. Everyone was evacuated from the house so they could search it, but somehow a fire broke out somewhere in the main living wing. When you ran in you ran straight for that area of the house they said. They tried to stop you and when you didn’t react they shot you with a rubber bullet. Still you wouldn’t answer and went straight for the fire. You’re lucky one of the strike team got to you in time before you died of smoke inhalation!” She scolded him. Lowell’s head swirled with all the new information. The main thing that run through his brain over and over again was: It wasn’t my father. They went to save Purr, not hurt him! Suddenly he realised something. The fire! Purr could have been hurt in it!
“Did...” he started then had to clear his throat. It hurt to speak! “Did they save him? The shifter?” The woman’s expression softened and she smiled.
“Yes, they did. It wasn’t easy from what I heard. The kid’s been abused badly and fought the people who came for him. They had to sedate him to take him away. But I heard they took him to a pack that specialises in helping rescued shifters. It seems that some bastards still think it’s okay to abuse shifters just because they have a different biology than humans!” She was clearly disgusted with the idea. So was Lowell but he said nothing. He thought about Purr. His tiger must have been terrified when these people came for him. He had no contact with any other people ever since Lowell rescued him. And when they came in all guns blazing the tiger must have thought they were Lowell’s father’s people. That’s what Lowell thought and that’s what they’ve feared for a long time. But the most important part was, that Purr was safe.
Lowell became aware that the nurse was talking to him. He was getting tired again and he felt his eyes close of their own volition.
“Hey, no sleeping yet.” The nurse scolded him gently and Lowell forced his eyes open. “Can you tell me your name, love? The best we could get about your identity was the head gardener’s statement that you were a new employee whom they just hired, but he couldn’t recall your name or address, nothing really. We couldn’t even notify your family, they must be worried, you were out for a couple of days now.”
“No family.” Lowell mumbled fighting sleep. “I’m Lo-Logan.” He corrected himself at the last moment. He did remember the kid they hired a few days before. He didn’t show up for work so they fired him again. Lowell was sure Harry; the main gardener knew it. But Harry was a shrewd old man who noticed more than he let on. He knew how much Lowell hated living in the mansion and how he wished to start a new life. Lowell needed to thank the man for his lie. “Logan Caldwell.” He finished, giving a false name and he couldn’t fight the sleep any longer. He let himself be pulled into a dark, dreamless void again, satisfied that Purr was safe and waiting for him somewhere. Just wait for me Purr! I’ll find you, no matter what!
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